How about a National Get-Together in Florida in the Winter of 2012?

We've all heard the phrase : "In Unity There is Strength"

We can all agree that the Miniature / model electric railway hobby is aging .

Do others agree that a well-advertised properly-run national program, set in an attractive, family-friendly setting, can benefit everybody in the hobby, amateurs, modelers, builders, small manufacturers ?

If we all (or as many as possible) got together in one great event, in a comfortable setting, in perfect weather, in which the entire family could participate, that would attract national --- maybe even international --- attention, don't you agree that our special interest, often overlooked in standard model railroad programs, could attract a great deal of favorable attention ?

No, we don't expect you to try to bring your trolley module aboard as carry-on baggage in the overhead compartment ! With proper arrangements made ahead of time, you could slip a streetcar or an interurban in one of the standard scales and gauges aboard, and utilize a friendly track already set up at the Exhibition site.

If we make a wise choice as to location, you could simultaneously :

1. Make your spouse, partner, and kids happy by choosing a family-friendly, family-attractive site --- think non-stop traction activities while the family goes to, say, Disney World

2. Attract significant regional, even national attention

3. Use the power of the new social media in spreading the word

4. Avoid the winter blues, frost bite, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (Cabin Fever); get outdoors; and see some new electric railway stuff instead of the same-old, same-old stuff

5. See if we can lure some international visitors from tram-friendly places like the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic over; Florida's Gulf Coast has proven strong attractant power.

6. Get into wonderful late-night debates about the future of the hobby, or about the possibility of a truly national organization (we locals can try to facilitate real forums, and real Town Meetings)

7. Attract a large number of locals, including mature participants with memories of the real thing, to peek in on our doings, and contribute their views, stories, and efforts

8. Attempt to synchronize our miniature efforts with regional trolley museums, and see if we can synergize what all of us are doing, the common interests that we all share,

9. Think and talk about the significant impact of light rail on what we are doing, and where we are headed.

10. and finally, provide professionals in the trade --- publishing, model-making, accessory-producing, video --- the opportunity to get their material in front of the hobby and in front of the mainstream media.

I'm suggesting :

A five-day Trolley, Traction, Tram, Transit Think-Tank, Mostly Models Mash-up [T6M3] ,

at a beautiful spot on Florida's Gulf Coast;

at a time of perfect and predictable weather, such as December, (... happens only in Florida)

celebrating the fact that the world did NOT end on December 12, 2012 ;

maybe coordinating with a family visit to Disney World, only an hour-and-a-half away from Greater Tampa Bay : Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and some of those powder white sand beaches voted among the most beautiful in the world, right on the Gulf of Mexico ;

and NO, we're nothing like Miami, NOR near Miami ; we're hundreds of miles and a different world away. ... although we, also, have palm trees and flowers.

Let's see ---- December 2012 : If the World does NOT End, what a celebration we could have ! If the World DOES end ? We'll never know, will we ? ... but our last hours will be Electric Railway Hours ... beats a root canal !

If enough interest is expressed to :

Hal Pelta

P O Box 208
Ellenton, Florida 34222   U.S.A.                   HNILS@MSN.COM

we will try to Rally 'Round the Flag AND PUT TOGETHER A TRULY MEMORABLE EVENT THAT, one way or another, WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

PLEASE LET US KNOW .

Hal (with his charming wife, Helen, at his side) has had experience putting together memorable programs in other fields ... and we do mean "memorable", as they are still the subject of national reminiscing, decades later. We would plan to sound a call for assistance to the number of trolley fans who have moved to Florida, and see if we could put something like that together.

HAL